The highest-ranking African-American officer in U.S. history and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989-93, Colin Powell was born to Jamaican immigrants in New York City on April 5, 1937. Raised in the South Bronx and attending New York City public schools, Powell earned a bachelor�s degree in geology from CCNY, where he joined the ROTC program, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1958.

Powell served in West Germany before going to South Vietnam as a military adviser in 1962, with a second tour of duty in 1968 as a battalion executive officer in the American Division. He was awarded two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, a Soldier�s Medal, and the Legion of Merit for his Vietnam service.

After receiving an MBA from George Washington University in 1971, Powell was awarded a White House fellowship, and held various high-level political positions while advancing in his military career. Powell served as President Ronald Reagan's national security adviser from 1987 to 1989. In 1989, under the Bush administration, he was made a four-star general and was appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, becoming the youngest person and first African American to hold the post.